Split/Second Velocity

Some racing games try to be authentic, slavishly recreating the driving experience, accurately simulating road handling and vehicle physics with photo-realistic, real-world tracks and licensed cars.

Split/Second Velocity is not one of those games. The idea behind this arcade-like racer is straightforward: win the race by knocking out your competitors, not just by ramming them off the Tarmac as in similar games such as Burnout, but by deforming huge sections of the track in ways that cause the other cars to crash.

Split/Second Velocity is a loose spoof of Hollywood disaster movies. There is a vague story about how each race is an episode of a reality TV show, but this is never very convincing and merely serves as an excuse for more racing carnage. Once you are on the track, your job is to build up a power meter by drifting around corners.

When you have enough points you can trigger a ‘power play’, which causes a sudden disaster of one type or another. These are all scripted stunt sequences that range from bridges blowing up to an entire jumbo jet falling out of the sky in front of you. The trick is to take out your cohorts while successfully navigating the explosive events yourself.

For some reason, the PC version of Split/Second Velocity is only available in the UK as a digital download from either www.direct2drive.co.uk or www.gamesplanet.com but don’t let this hold you back.

It may be a one-trick pony, but Split/Second Velocity is an intense, thrilling racer with some fantastic visuals and a dramatic soundtrack.